From time to time we take a look at the “one another” commands in Bible. They given to us so we can know how to properly relate to each other in the church and so we can be built up, others can be built up, and our church can thrive in the love of God. Today’s command comes from Romans.

Romans 12:10b – Take the lead in honoring one another.

What does it mean to “honor” someone? Well, it means to respect someone, to value them.^[1] To show appreciation and accord recognition.^[2] Now, how does that square with the fact that we’re called to servanthood and humility and not thinking more highly of ourselves than we should?^[3]

Quite honestly, we don’t do a lot of public recognition around church. We don’t name things after donors or bring people up front to talk about how great they are so we all can clap at them. We try to keep things more anonymous for a variety of reasons. One is that we believe service to the Lord should be done for Him, and not so I can receive accolades. When Jesus famously spoke about mustard seed faith, He ended that discussion by saying, “when you have done all that you were commanded, you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we’ve only done our duty.’”^[4]

Another reason why we don’t make a big show of commending people is because we live in the midst of a secular culture that thrives on selfish attention. That’s why social media exists. People often get very upset when they feel like they’re not recognized enough at work. Our human hearts want to be celebrated and, frankly, even when we are it’s never enough.

But are we neglecting this Romans 12 command to honor one another? Well, what are we being told to do? First, it’s not for me to be honored. The command is that I go out of my way to value Christians around me. To put them first. And not to do so so that I can then turn and say, “Ok it’s my turn.” In fact, this command is meant to keep our natural desire to honor ourselves in check.^[5]

And, the respect and recognition we give is not based on the person, but on the work God has accomplished. The praise goes to the Lord, not the human.

So, as usual, this aspect of our faith starts with our perspective: That I value and respect the believers around and look for ways to make them important by the way I behave.

The tangible ways of carrying out this command is not about puffing people up or flattering them, but celebrating who they are in Christ, acknowledging the work God is doing in them. It means not demanding the first place in line, not walking up to someone and saying, “That’s my seat, you need to move.” Not behaving as if whatever I want to say to this person matters more than the person they’re already talking to.

We can honor one another in all sorts of ways today – real ways – and I hope we all diligently pursue that command as we interact with each other.